Home Loans Articles

Will we see a Melbourne Cup rate cut?

Will we see a Melbourne Cup rate cut?

Could you be eligible for a low doc home loan?

If your financial situation is best described as “complicated” you may find it difficult to secure a standard home loan with most lenders. Even if it is through no fault of your own, such as losing your job or a failed business venture, lenders have certain lending criteria they uphold for their protection and for yours.

Could you pay your mortgage if rates hit 7 per cent?

With mortgage rates kept low by the historic low cash rate, it’s fair to say that many borrowers are coasting along in an ideal situation. Rates lower than 4 per cent are no longer uncommon for owner-occupier mortgage holders with some equity built up in their property.

How can we fix the housing affordability crisis?

It seems as though there is no hotter topic than the housing affordability crisis and what needs to be done to solve it. From the endless news articles to the discussions had in homes around Australia, it’s a problem that strikes right at the heart of the Australian dream of property ownership.

No toast for you! How many smashed avo brunches it takes to buy a house

Earlier this week, Bernard Salt made headlines by claiming the money people under 40 spend on smashed avocado with crumbled feta five-grain toast could be used to save a deposit for a house.

What is a rate tracker home loan?

In recent weeks, talk has been heating up about a particular kind of mortgage known as a rate tracker loan.

Beware the housing black market

It has been called the housing black market and with good reason: dodgy schemes that promise to put you in your own home without a credit or history check.

Rates of the Nation Report, October 2016

With the cash rate cut to 1.50 per cent in August, there was a lot of interest rate action during the past quarter – particularly in the mortgage and deposit spaces, yet little movement in credit card rates.

Would you lie to get your mortgage approved?

Securing a mortgage and landing your dream home are goals shared by many Australians but how far would you go to make it a reality?

Should you buy a property with friends?

With the house prices on the rise, many Australians are turning to sharing a mortgage in an effort to get on the property ladder. For many, it’s a boost onto the property ladder, opening up a wider housing market and reducing the initial financial burden, but it’s important to beat in mind that there are some risks which could leave you caught out.

Has NZ locked first time buyers out of the property market?

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been accused of stifling first home buyers' chances of getting into the property market by reducing the owner-occupier LVR to 80 per cent.

Bathroom renovation trends for 2016

A bathroom renovation can spark life and luxury into even the most tired of properties.

Two income reliant families at higher risk of mortgage stress

With most Australians now accepting the fact that it will take two incomes to be able to afford a mortgage there is a risk that not enough borrowers are considering what would happen if one of these incomes was lost.

How to negotiate yourself a better deal: Three tips for borrowers

A home loan is often the biggest financial commitment you’ll take on in your life, which means there are few excuses to not go in prepared to bargain for the best deal.

Should you sell your home yourself?

If you’re looking into selling your home, you would have noticed the thousands of dollars in fees it takes to employ the services of an agent.

Interest-only loans are back

Interest-only loans have seen a resurgence, despite questions raised by a regulatory review about their appropriateness for certain borrowers.

How you can become a property investor in minutes

With interest rates so low, many first time property buyers feel like they will never be able to amass a big enough deposit to purchase their first property.

Frugal living: the top cheap housing trends

In the world's most expensive cities, savvy inhabitants tend to find workaround solutions to beat the affordability crisis.